EXCLUSIVE PICTURES: Brad Pitt hides out in art studio bolthole listening to break-up ballads while Angelina Jolie travels the world with the kids

Brad Pitt has been locking himself away in a Los Angeles art studio over long and lonely nights to channel his heartbreak over his divorce from Angelina Jolie.

The 53-year-old actor has been creating a sculpture under the direction of his friend, British artist Thomas Houseago.

DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal he has been spending up to 15 hours a day in the studio working until the early hours of the morning and listening to playlists of sad songs.

Art therapy: Brad Pitt is shown last week at a Los Angeles art studio where he has been creating a sculpture while listening to breakup ballads amid his divorce from Angelina Jolie

Angelina, 41, recently returned to Los Angeles after taking her six children - Zahara, Shiloh, Vivienne, Knox, Maddox and Pax - to Europe where she spoke in London on behalf of greater efforts to document and prosecute crimes of rape and sexual violence in war.

She also spoke in strong defense of the UN during a ceremony in Geneva honoring Sergio Vieira de Mello, the U.N. envoy to Iraq who died in a 2003 bombing attack in Baghdad.

Smoking session: Smoke billowed from a cracked window of the actor's Tesla during a recent trip

The event was particularly resonant for Brad as Thomas – who lives in the same exclusive compound - spoke in depth about his own personal struggles.

He told Brad and the rest of the audience: 'You need that darkness and doubt as a motivator … recently I've come to really like that broken guy and take care of him.'

The pair have been friends for some time, and Thomas has been there for Brad after also going through a divorce himself.

Out the window: The plumes of smoke were apparently from a vaping pen

Thomas went on to explain the 'infinite magic of art', adding: 'When you have that trauma and have that anxiety, you have that push … it gets you off planet earth, and through the atmosphere really fast.'

According to an onlooker, Brad attended the event with a group of buddies and looked deep in thought. He later appeared sombre with his head down, glued to his cell phone. Weeks later he'd started his project with Thomas.

Brad's new focus on his art comes weeks after he appeared to be going a little stir crazy in Santa Barbara, where he's owned a beach house for years.

British artist: Brad's artist friend Thomas Houseago has been helping Brad with his sculpture

Art space: The art space is located in the Frogtown area of Los Angeles